Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Male and Istanbul

For one person, living costs are similar in Male and in Istanbul: $1,505 and $1,519 a month, rent and utilities included.

72

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
Learn more

Istanbul Living Index

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Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,505

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Male and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Male and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,505 per month in Male vs $1,519 in Istanbul, rent included.

Male $1,505
Istanbul $1,519

A couple spends around $2,419 per month in Male vs $2,365 in Istanbul, rent included.

Male $2,419
Istanbul $2,365

A family of three spends $3,332 per month in Male vs $3,212 in Istanbul, rent included.

Male $3,332
Istanbul $3,212

Male and Istanbul have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Male and Istanbul sit above the global median – Male by 11%, Istanbul by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 MVR 93.0

$11.81 ₺592

-48.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 MVR 593

$54.9 ₺2,754

-29.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 MVR 152

$9.26 ₺465

6.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 MVR 75.6

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 MVR 111

Cappuccino

$3.49 MVR 53.9

$4.30 ₺216

-18.84%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 MVR 25.25

$1.77 ₺89.0

-7.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 MVR 4.79

$0.56 ₺28.32

-44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 ₺235

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 ₺357

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 MVR 30.55

$1.25 ₺62.7

58.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 MVR 24.70

$0.88 ₺44.17

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MVR 18.64

$2.20 ₺111

-45.00%

Eggs

$1.88 MVR 28.99

$2.43 ₺122

-22.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 MVR 162

$10.48 ₺526

0.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.94 MVR 91.7

$5.31 ₺267

11.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.38 MVR 145

$21.10 ₺1,058

-55.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 MVR 62.3

$1.86 ₺93.1

117.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 MVR 43.95

$2.30 ₺115

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 MVR 61.7

$1.22 ₺61.0

227.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 MVR 36.68

$1.80 ₺90.2

32.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MVR 33.08

$0.69 ₺34.83

211.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MVR 30.67

$0.64 ₺32.16

210.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 MVR 33.37

$1.36 ₺68.0

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 MVR 9.01

$0.58 ₺28.94

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.50 MVR 193

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 MVR 41.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 MVR 30.95

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.90 MVR 230

$2.34 ₺117

536.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 ₺653

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₺118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 ₺166

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MVR 10.22

$0.88 ₺44.07

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.48 MVR 455

$66.1 ₺3,316

-55.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 MVR 29.30

$1.28 ₺64.4

48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 MVR 30.09

$0.85 ₺42.80

129.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 MVR 155

$11.09 ₺556

-9.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 MVR 16.07

$1.48 ₺74.0

-29.73%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.5K MVR 393.9K

$48.6K ₺2.4M

-47.49%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.9K MVR 430.3K

$42.0K ₺2.1M

-33.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$118 MVR 1,817

$92.7 ₺4,650

27.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$29.90 MVR 461

$11.20 ₺562

166.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 MVR 1,135

$15.89 ₺797

363.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.9 MVR 1,108

$74.7 ₺3,745

-3.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.66 MVR 519

$22.95 ₺1,151

46.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 MVR 146

$8.05 ₺404

17.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$182 MVR 2,812

$948 ₺47.6K

-80.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,813 MVR 74.2K

$36.9K ₺1.9M

-86.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.62 MVR 596

$53.9 ₺2,702

-28.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.25 MVR 759

$41.49 ₺2,081

18.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 MVR 1,315

$101 ₺5,060

-15.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MVR 809

$91.3 ₺4,580

-42.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 MVR 14.8K

$1,014 ₺50.8K

-5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 MVR 10.7K

$625 ₺31.3K

10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 MVR 31.7K

$2,005 ₺100.6K

2.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,546 MVR 23.8K

$1,126 ₺56.5K

37.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,234 MVR 34.5K

$2,988 ₺149.8K

-25.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,402 MVR 21.6K

$1,730 ₺86.8K

-19.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$830 MVR 12.8K

$1,136 ₺57.0K

-26.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

40.42

-65.36%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Male: November 3, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Male

$691 45.9%

Istanbul

$625 41.1% 9.7% $67

Groceries & Markets

Male

$229 15.2%

Istanbul

$258 17% 12.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Male

$221 14.7%

Istanbul

$120 7.9% 45.9% $102

Eating Out

Male

$128 8.5%

Istanbul

$221 14.6% 73.2% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Male

$102 6.7%

Istanbul

$129 8.5% 27.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Male

$91 6%

Istanbul

$91 6% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Male

$44 2.9%

Istanbul

$75 5% 71.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $961 in Male versus $1,014 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Istanbul. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Male versus $55 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $229 vs $258 – making Male the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇻 Male

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

2 h behind Male

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,693 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.77 EUR

100 TRY = 1.99 USD

100 TRY = 1.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to MVR – Maldivian Rufiyaa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.32 MVR (100 MVR = 5.77 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 50.15 TRY (100 TRY = 1.99 USD). 1 EUR = 56.33 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

USD to MVR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Male Istanbul 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Male
Istanbul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Male vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,258 per month in Male and $2,278 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $961 in Male and $1,014 in Istanbul. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Male and $55 in Istanbul. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Male. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,505 in Male and $1,519 in Istanbul. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Male – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Male. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Istanbul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.